Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, in a chilling Friday warning, raised the possibility of a nuclear or chemical attack on his war-torn homeland by Russian President Vladimir Putin while issuing a global call for support.
“Not only me — all of the world, all of the countries have to be worried because it cannot be real information, but it can be truth,” Zelensky declared in a CNN interview as the Russian invasion of Ukraine approached the end of its second month.
“Chemical weapons, they should do it, they could do it,” he continued. “For them, the life of people, nothing. That’s why. We should think not be afraid, not be afraid but be ready.”
U.S. officials have warned that Putin, already mired in a conflict lasting much longer than expected against the outmanned Ukraine, could deploy tactical nuclear weapons in the war.
The Russian strongman’s regime sent a two-page formal diplomatic note Friday to the United States and NATO warning their military support of Ukraine could produce “unpredictable consequences.”
The missive followed President Biden’s approval of $800 million in U.S. military aid for Ukraine, money expected to fund an upgrade in its weapons systems.
Earlier this week, Finland and Sweden reached an important step toward a possible NATO membership as the Finnish government issued a security report to lawmakers and Sweden’s ruling party initiated a review of security policy options.
Russia, for its part, warned the two European Union nations against joining NATO, with officials saying it would not contribute to stability in Europe. Officials said Russia would respond to such a move with retaliatory measures that would cause “military and political consequences” for Helsinki and Stockholm.
For Iryna Kurowyckyj, an East Village resident from Ukraine, the Putin threat appeared far from international grandstanding.
“I’m afraid for the whole of Europe, and I’m afraid for the whole continent,” she said. “He has more nuclear weapons than anyone else. He knows he has the power. With his nuclear weapons, he can scare the whole world.”
Russian-born Maxim Mikitin, 33, was similarly concerned about the coming days as the world waits on Putin’s next move.
“He’s staying in the same line with Khadafy and Hussein right now, a classic dictator,” said the musician now living in Williamsburg. “The problem is they have a lot of nukes … He does not understand that it’s going to be a game with no end.”
Zelenskyy spoke as Russia’s Defense Ministry vowed to increase its missile attacks on Ukraine, where more than 900 murdered civilians were found in the area outside Kyiv. The head of the city’s regional police force said corpses were turning up on a daily basis, buried in mass graves or beneath rubble caused by Russian bombing, with 95% executed by gunshots.
But Zelenskyy told CNN the issue went beyond the fate of his nation: “That is not a question for Ukraine, not only for Ukraine but for all the world, I think.”
Reports indicated Ukrainian officials were expecting an escalation in the fighting over the coming weeks. U.S. officials have warned about the possibility that Putin could unleash the nuclear option in Ukraine if backed into a corner.
“Given the potential desperation of President Putin and the Russian leadership, given the setbacks that they’ve faced so far militarily, none of us can take lightly the threat posed by a potential resort to tactical nuclear weapons or low yield nuclear weapons,” said CIA Director Bill Burns on Thursday.
Ukrainian officials celebrated the sinking of a key Russian warship with a pair of missiles. According to U.S. officials, the guided-missile cruiser Moskva went down on its way back to port — forcing its crew of 500 to evacuate.
Ukrainian Defense Minister Oleksy Reznikov tweaked the invaders in a Friday tweet.
“A ‘flagship’ Russian warship is a worthy diving site,” he wrote. “We have one more diving spot in the Black Sea now. Will definitely visit the wreck after our victory in the war.”
But Russian shelling continued to take a devastating toll on the invaded nation. A 7-month-old child was one of seven people killed by shelling in the area of Kharkiv, Ukraine’s second-largest city. Officials said another 34 residents were wounded by the bombing.
Michael Goldfluss, 33, of Williamsburg, said it was impossible to predict Putin’s behavior as the world holds its collective breath.
“It’s muddy waters, the guy is clearly unpredictable,” said the real estate worker. “My personal opinion is that he’s willing to do whatever it takes, no matter what the consequences to anyone.”
